Music-desk for pianos.



No. 743, 40. PATENTED NOV. '3; 1903.

R. s. BOWEN. v MUSIC DESK FOR PIA-NOS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1803.

H0 MODEL.

Inn/enfor- (QM 5. Kim Y y vgdwm u o ht'orneys.

Wain/eases: W M

UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ROBERT S. BOWEN, OH NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OHICKERING & SONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

MUSIC-DESK FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,140, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed February 6, 1903. Serial 110.14%,141. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT S. BOWEN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Newtonville, in the county of MiddleseX, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Music-Desks for Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention has relation more especially to the music-desks of upright pianos. The music-desk of an upright piano when not in use and while occupying its normal or retracted position hangs in a vertical position Within the opening that is provided for its reception in the upper portion of the case of the piano. When it is desired to use the same for the support of sheets or a book of music, it is. swung or tilted into an inclined position, so that the said sheets when resting by the lower edge or edges of the same upon the supporting ledge or shelf with which the bottom of the desk is provided will lie against the inclined face of the desk. Various arrangements have been devised or employed heretofore for retaining the music-desk in the desired position.

The general object of the present invention is to provide, by simple, eifective, and durable means of novel and improved character, for attaining such result.

In the drawing I have shown in vertical section portion of a piano having an embodiment of the invention applied thereto, only such portions of the piano being shown as will aid in an understanding of the nature and relations of the invention.

Having reference to the drawing, the case in general of the piano is marked 1. The m usic-desk is marked 2.

In carrying my invention into effect the music-desk 2 is hung pivotally to suitable fixed supports in the upper part of the piano. The precise construction and arrangement of the parts of the pivotal mounting are not material in the case of most embodiments of the invention, so long as capacity for a certain amount of vertical movement of the desk bodily in addition to its swinging movement is secured. I secure this capacity usually by the combination of a pivot-pin and a vertically-elongated bearing receiving said pivot* pin, the elongation of the bearing permitting relative movement between the pin and bearing vertically. One of these parts is fixed to the music-desk and the other thereof to the relatively fixed support for said desk. In the present instance, illustrated in the drawing, the pin, it being marked 3, is driven into a hole that is bored horizontally into the fixed upright part t of the piano, the inner portion of said pin 3 projecting inwardly from the inner face of said upright part 4. The bearing, it being marked 5, is attached to the back of the music-desk, as by means of one or more screws 6 6. The portion of said bearing which engages with the pivot-pin is hookshaped and inverted and fits down over the pivot-pin from above, its free side being of sufficient length vertically to permit a certain amount of relative movement vertically before disengagement of the bearing from the pivot-pin will take place. The same arrangement is used at each end of the desk. To prevent noise, the pivot-pin is hushed, as at 31.

The means for locking the music-desk in the desired position comprises, essentially, simply two members, one thereof being fixedly attached to the desk and the other fixedly attached to a stationary part of the piano. These two members cooperate with each other after the fashion of simple cams to provide for vertical movement of the desk bodily as the members move relatively to each other in the swinging of the desk, the said desk, when left free to do so after being raised slightly by the interaction of the prominent portions of the said members, gravitating so as to cause the members to latch with each other, and thereby hold the music-desk from swinging out of position. The form, 850., of the said members may vary somewhat in practice. In the drawing one of such members consists of the small block 7 ,which is fastened by one or more screws 71 71 to the back of the desk,with its lower end projecting slightly below the bottom of the desk and with said end somewhat rounded to facilitate its movement upon and over the opposite member 8. The said member 8 consists of a pin, which is partly driven into a hole in the stationary part 11 of the case, its projecting part being within the path described by the rounded projecting end of block 7 in the swinging movements of the music-desk. To prevent noise as a result of the striking of block 7 against the pin 8, the said projecting part of the pin is bushed-2'. e., surrounded with a sleeve or wrapping of buckskin or its equivalent, which may be fixed or free to rotate upon the pin, as preferred. The pin 8 is set in such position that just before the musicdesk in being swung or inclined reaches the desired open position the block 7 shall encounter the pin.

The operation of the locking members will now be clearly understood. When the musicdesk is swungor tilted from its vertical or retracted position, so as to carry its bottom portion forward, the movement of the desk carries block 7 into contact with pin 8. As such movementis continued by the power applied to the desk by the hand of the person occupied in adjusting the desk the block will ride over the pin, the desk being thereby raised bodily. As the block passes the pin the music-desk will gravitate downward, the block descending in front of the pin, as shown in the drawing. The weight of the music-desk will retain the parts in the position shown in the drawing, in which the desk is latched in its open position for use. When power is applied by hand to swing the desk intoits closed position, the block '7 rides over the pin 8 and drops at the rear thereof. I have herein shown the parts arranged to lock or latch the music-desk in its forward position only, in asmuch as it tends naturally to remain in its vertical or closed position, permitting the use of latching devices for the purpose of holding it closed to be dispensed with.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination, the music-desk, the pivotal mounting therefor permitting vertical movementof the desk in addition to its swinging movement, and the locking members, one fixed upon the desk and the other fixed in the path of the first, cooperating to occasion vertical movement of the desk, the said desk in gravitating after being raised by the coaction of the said members causing the latter to latch with each other to hold the desk in the desired position, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the music-desk, the mounting therefor comprising, essentially, a pivot-pin and a vertically-elongated bearing for said pivot-pin, the locking member fixedly mounted upon the desk, and the coacting fixed locking member mounted in the path of the first locking member and cooperating therewith to occasion vertical movement of the desk as the swinging movement of the lattercarriesits locking member past the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. BOWEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WILLIAM A. COPELAND. 

